Sunday, January 18, 2009

OpenGL Shading Language or Access 2000 For Windows

OpenGL Shading Language

Author: Randi J Rost

"As the 'Red Book' is known to be the gold standard for OpenGL, the 'Orange Book' is considered to be the gold standard for the OpenGL Shading Language. With Randi's extensive knowledge of OpenGL and GLSL, you can be assured you will be learning from a graphics industry veteran. Within the pages of the second edition you can find topics from beginning shader development to advanced topics such as the spherical harmonic lighting model and more."

—David Tommeraasen, CEO/Programmer, Plasma Software

"This will be the definitive guide for OpenGL shaders; no other book goes into this detail. Rost has done an excellent job at setting the stage for shader development, what the purpose is, how to do it, and how it all fits together. The book includes great examples and details, and good additional coverage of 2.0 changes!"

"The coverage in this new edition of the book is pitched just right to help many new shader-writers get started, but with enough deep information for the 'old hands.'"

—Marc Olano, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland

"This is a really great book on GLSL—well written and organized, very accessible, and with good real-world examples and sample code. The topics flow naturally and easily, explanatory code fragments are inserted in very logical places to illustrate concepts, and all in all, this book makes an excellent tutorial as well as a reference."

—John Carey, Chief Technology Officer, C.O.R.E. Feature Animation

OpenEdition, extensively updated for OpenGL 2.0, is the experienced application programmer's guide to writing shaders. Part reference, part tutorial, this book thoroughly explains the shift from fixed-functionality graphics hardware to the new era of programmable graphics hardware and the additions to the OpenGL API that support this programmability. With OpenGL and shaders written in the OpenGL Shading Language, applications can perform better, achieving stunning graphics effects by using the capabilities of both the visual processing unit and the central processing unit.

In this book, you will find a detailed introduction to the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) and the new OpenGL function calls that support it. The text begins by describing the syntax and semantics of this high-level programming language. Once this foundation has been established, the book explores the creation and manipulation of shaders using new OpenGL function calls.

OpenGL® Shading Language, Second Edition, includes updated descriptions for the language and all the GLSL entry points added to OpenGL 2.0; new chapters that discuss lighting, shadows, and surface characteristics; and an under-the-hood look at the implementation of RealWorldz, the most ambitious GLSL application to date. The second edition also features 18 extensive new examples of shaders and their underlying algorithms, including

Image-based lighting

Lighting with spherical harmonics

Ambient occlusion

Shadow mapping

Volume shadows using deferred lighting

Ward's BRDF model

The color plate section illustrates the power and sophistication of the OpenGL Shading Language. The API Function Reference at the end of the book is an excellent guide to the API entry points that support the OpenGL Shading Language. Also included is a convenient Quick Reference Card to GLSL.

Access 2000 For Windows (For Dummies Series)

Author: John Kaufeld

Being a normal human being, you probably have work to do. In fact, you may have lots of work piled precariously around your office or even stretching onto the Internet. Someone, possibly your boss, suggested that Access 2000 may help you get more done in less time, eliminate the piles, and generally make the safety inspector happy.

But if you’re confused instead of organized, befuddled instead of productive, or just completely lost on the whole database thing, Access 2000 For Windows For Dummies is the book for you.

You don't need to be a nerd to get the most out of Access 2000 For Windows For Dummies. If you know the basics of Windows 95, 98, or NT (whichever one you use) and have a desire to work with databases, you're ready to go. Everything you need to know is right here, just waiting for you to read it.

Each part of Access 2000 For Windows For Dummies covers a general topic of Access 2000. Right off the bat, this book answers the lyrical question “It’s a data-what?” By starting with an overview of both database concepts in general and Access 2000 in particular, this book provides the information you need to make sense of the whole database concept. You'll also gain insight into

• Solving problems with Access 2000

• Designing, building, using, changing, and generally coexisting in the same room with Access 2000 tables

• Using the Access 200 queries to unearth the answers you know are hiding somewhere in your data

• Committing your database to paper

• Doing stuff faster and seeking assistance from the wizards.You'll even venture into a bit of programming

Now nothing’s left to hold you back from the wonders of Access 2000. Cleave tightly to Access 2000 For Windows For Dummies, consign the Microsoft manuals to a suitable dark hole, and dive into Access 2000.